Francesco Alban - Baptism of Christ |
Today the
church celebrates the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. He was of course 30 years
old when he was baptized by John the Baptist, and had a good recollection of
this important event in his life, which was the launching-pad of his 3 year
mission. Many of us do not have any recollection of our Baptism, unlike our
First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Marriage or Ordination. Most probably we
all have photos of when we received these important sacraments, but unless it
was done recently, the day we were received into the church will go down as
something that happened in the dark ages. Maybe that is why we do not truly appreciate
the solemnity and uniqueness of that event. But it was nonetheless a meaningful
moment in our journey of faith. It is also unfortunate that, from my experience,
many parents consider the baptism of their children as just a cosmetic event, an
opportunity to show up in church and invite family and friends for a party. More emphasis should be
given to the role of the godparents, and the follow-up of the choice parents
have made for their new creations. If I were to ask 3 simple questions to a person,
I doubt if he or she can answer at least one of them: 1. What date you were
baptized, 2. In which church and 3. Who was the priest who baptized you? May
this feast today remind us to appreciate our own baptism even more and treasure
its memory in our hearts.
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